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African powerhouse Morocco is advancing to the World Cup quarterfinals after beating Canada 3-0 in Saturday’s first round of 16 match.
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While neither team was able to break through in the first half, Azzedine Ounahi took a free kick from Achraf Hakimi and made a right-footed shot through traffic from outside the box to the bottom right corner to put Morocco on top 1-0 in the 50th minute.
Ounahi the made it 2-0 from the middle of the box off a pass from Brahim Díaz in the 82nd minute. Soufiane Rahimi added a spectacular third goal in the final minute of stoppage time.
It’s Morocco’s second straight appearance in the quarterfinals after becoming the first African team to reach the semifinals in 2022.
Ranked sixth in the FIFA rankings, Morocco dispatched the Netherlands in a penalty shootout to reach the round of 16 and send the country to its earliest World Cup exit.
Canada had a couple of chances to score late. Jonathan David had a free kick from outside the box in the 78th minute, but his shot sailed over the crossbar.
The loss ends a historic run for World Cup co-host Canada, which won its first-ever knockout round with a 1-0 victory over South Africa to reach Saturday’s match. The country was playing in the World Cup for just the third time and the run enchanted a nation that is normally far more interested in hockey than the pitch.
Morocco advances to face the winner of Saturday’s Paraguay-France match on Thursday at Boston Stadium.
Additional sources • AP
